1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to manually operated hand tools and, more specifically, to a tool serving as a pinch bar and lever having means for gripping an automotive suspension fastened workpiece between first and second tool elements and an extended handle for magnifying a force placed thereon to free the workpiece from its fastened position. Alternately, the first and second tool elements can be positioned against opposing workpieces to free one from the other again using the extended handle to amplify the applied force causing separation.
More specifically, the tool is designed for the automotive repair industry in the removal and installation of suspension members, such as CV joints, ball joints, struts, etc that require the dismantling of parts that have bonded due to dirt, wear and electrolytic reactions, such as oxidation, resulting in time intensive and hazardous tasks depending on the inventiveness of the mechanic in performing the separation task.
Furthermore, some of these parts are compressed by tensioning members, which is not where you want your fingers to be. According to OSHA and the U. S. Department of Labor estimates, there are approximately 3,000,00 workers in the automotive industry and as more females enter the automotive workplace the need increases for more ergonomic tools that are less dependant on an individual's muscle mass and more considerate of the aforementioned safety concerns and can result in lower labor costs to the consumer through employment of the present invention within the automotive industry.
It should be noted that careful consideration was given and is considered an integral part of the inventive process as to the angular position of the handle when the tool is placed in the operative position since many of the suspension members extend downwardly. Preferably, once engaging the workpiece the handle is cantilevered in a positive horizontal plane.
Additional consideration was given to one of the workpiece engaging members incorporating hanger means so that once placed in the operative position, it would remain there allowing for hands free operation for the user by straddling the handle and applying the necessary pressure by leaning on the handle as needed. In other words, the tool provides means whereby the user doesn't have to use their hands to apply force. Using one's legs either by straddling the handle or simply apply pressure to the handle with a knee provides for hands free operation.
The other engaging member was also found to be more functional having a hyperbolic tip that can more easily engage tubular members from varying degrees.
It is not considered essential to the invention that the tip form a curved plane or that the hanger have a somewhat U-shape but the tool is functionally more ergonomic incorporating these improvements, as opposed to a flat or rounded tip or the hanger having more of an L-shape. The tool would certainly function in a similar manner but not as efficiently. There is also a brace extending between the curvature at the base of the handle and the shaft extending to the tool tip with the hanger fastened thereto and extending therefrom. Again it was found through trial and error that this arrangement provided a more durable tool as opposed to fastening the hanger to the main tool shaft. The tool would still function within the scope of the present invention but it is felt would result in an inferior quality tool. Therefore such an arrangement is within the scope of the present invention, but preferably manufactured having a brace with the hanger extending therefrom, which will provide a more durable and quality tool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other tools designed for manual use. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 2,681,791 issued to Hahn on Jun. 22, 1954.
Another patent was issued to Cooper on Jul. 28, 1959 as U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,910. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,140 was issued to Pulliam on Aug. 2, 1977 and still yet another was issued on May 2, 1989 to Thomas as U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,136.
Another patent was issued to Schmeling on Mar. 19, 1991 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,898. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,202 was issued to Turrell on Jun. 4, 1991 and still yet another was issued on Dec. 21, 1993 to Senters as U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,115.
Another patent was issued to Kosbab on May 6, 1997 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,063. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. D424,901 was issued to Landry on Dec. 21, 1993. Another U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,910 was issued to Schaffer on Jun. 8, 1999 and still yet another was issued on Oct. 21, 2003 to Sim as U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,620.
A brake adjusting tool comprising a substantially straight bar having one end portion thereof flattened on two opposite sides, a lug disposed outwardly from the bar on one of said two sides at a point spaced from said one end thereof, a pivot pin carried by said lug and extending from one side of the lug at right angles thereto, and—a hook lever pivoted upon said pivot pin and movable around said pivot pin only in a plane parallel with the bar, said hook lever being of a length slightly greater than the distance from the pivot pin to said one end of the bar and having an angular hooked end extending to a point on the opposite side of said bar from the pivot pin and terminating in a backwardly disposed end, whereby the hook lever may be swung over said one end of the bar so that it may be disposed upon either of said first mentioned two sides of the bar with the hooked end thereof located closer to the axis of the bar in one position than in the other position.
The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in tools for use by carpenters either in the erection or demolition of buildings. A hand tool embodying a wrecking bar and constructed at one end with a U-shaped hook which projects laterally at one side of the bar and which may be used for various purposes in engaging lumber during the construction or wrecking of a building.
A tool for removing nails in the form of a bar curved to form a fulcrum at its working end, which terminates as a short first forked claw. A second forked claw of intermediate length is fixed at a second distance from the fulcrum and a long third fork claw is fixed at a second distance from the fulcrum with all forked claws being generally similarly curved and extending in the same direction from the bar. The second and third claws are used to fasten about a nail head which has been partially lifted above the surface on which the fulcrum is rested, for complete removal of the associated nail.
A lever type tool with an elongated handle, and a head having two opposed and spaced apart claws projecting in the same direction at the opposite sides of a space to closely receive a portion of a rectangular cross section of a lumber member.
An improved tool for manually removing or installing rail anchors of the spring clip type, includes an anchor engaging portion adapted to grip the anchor during installation or removal from the rail base. A handle is provided which has an angular portion and a substantially horizontally extending portion attached to the anchor engaging portion and includes a contiguously formed downwardly extending step portion for permitting stepping forces to supplement forces generated by arm and hand motion.
A tool for installing a spring clip for clipping together extensions for sheet metal. An angled handle terminates in an extended underlip at an operating end. A jaw having a flat bottom face and a hooked end is pivotally affixed, offset from the underlip. The underlip is curved to form a pushing face, opposed to the hook on the jaw. The tool is used to install a spring clip on sheet metal extensions, placing one end of the spring clip across a sheet metal extension and hooking the sheet metal extension and clip together with a jaw hook. By pivoting down the handle, the underlip presses against the opposing sheet metal extension forcing the extensions together and forcing the jaw face down over the spring clamp clipping the clamp over the sheet metal extensions, installing the clip.
A brake slack adjuster and tire tester tool including a main support assembly having mounted thereon a connector hook assembly and, on an outer end, an arm connector and tire tester assembly. The tool support assembly has a main handle assembly having on one end a hand gripper assembly which is operable to be grasped by the user thereof. The connector hook assembly is provided with a main hook member secured to an outer portion of the main handle member and operable to grasp onto a portion of a rocker arm assembly of an air brake assembly on a truck/trailer assembly. The arm connector and tire tester assembly is provided with a tire tester section and an arm connector section. The tire tester section is operable for impacting an outer surface of a tire member to check the condition thereof. The arm connector section is operable to contact and grasp a portion of the rocker arm assembly of the air brake assembly and cooperates with the connector hook assembly for ease of pivotal movement of the rocker arm assembly for testing slack in the air brake assembly.
A tool for shifting the locking bar of a fifth wheel of a tractor from a locked position to an unlocked position includes an elongate handle having a U-shaped locking handle engaging member. The handle includes a straight portion, an offset portion, and a terminal portion having the U-shaped member affixed to its outer end. The U-shaped member engages the locking handle in overlying relation and the terminal portion underlies and engages the offset portion of the locking handle whereby when the tool is rotated, the locking handle will be shifted to the unlocked position.
The ornamental design for a belt wench crank assembly, as shown and described.
A tool comprising a bar with a pair of teeth proved at one end of the bar and a handle portion attached at the other end of the bar approximately perpendicular to the bar. The teeth are spaced apart from each other in order to allow an end of a t-post clip to removably insert therebetween. The teeth are approximately parallel with the handle and extend outward from the bar in a direction opposite the direction that the handle extends from the bar. The tool is used to twist the ends of t-post clips in order to secure the clips to fence wire to the t-post, or alternately, to remove clips therefrom.
The present invention 10 discloses a special purpose tool for removing control arms 18 from ball joint sockets 24 of vehicles 20. The present invention comprises an elongated handle 22 consisting of steel tubing along with a front end piece 16 made from steel round stock being offset with member 30 from the handle 22. Also a U-shaped bracket 28 is welded to the front end piece wherein the bracket has a hook 34 with a point 38 on the hook for contacting various structures of the vehicle 20. The point 38 of the hook, the front tip 36 and the handle 22 all lie in a single plane so that the tool will not rotate and slip off the work piece. The present invention can also have variously shaped surfaces on the point 38 of the hook and the front tip 36 for contacting various structures on a vehicle.
There are other devices used for specialized prying of automotive components, but while these prying devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.